No matter your level of knowledge in family history research, the right tools can:
Save you countless hours of research time
Help you connect with cousins close and distant
Lead you to the right sources
My promise...
I always use it first
I love to find tools that actually WORK and then make honest endorsements and what is best for you so you can make the most progress, FAST!
Access the full list of apps, programs, and tools with insider discounts below!
Many of these are affiliate links. As such I may get a commission if you buy here. Just know that none of the charges of these items have been bumped up to cover that commission. And by the way, some of the makers of these tools have passed along special discounts to me that I get to pass on to you!
Google Drive
Google Drive is a great collaborative tool for working with other family members using content, images, or files. You can work on data or text with others simultaneously. And you don’t have to download and the re-upload like at Dropbox.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a great place to stay organized. It’s like a giant filing cabinet! It’s free to begin with, then you can upgrade as needed.
FamilySearch
FamilySearch offers more material for FREE than any other organization. You need an account, but there is no charge. They feature a single wiki model family tree with billions of names. A separate section offers billions of records to search or browse, and it’s growing every day. No matter your budget, FamilySearch is a must-have account! (An Extreme Genes sponsor.)
Legacy Tree Genealogists
Have a challenging project? This is the place to hire trained genealogists. They have researchers on the ground in over one hundred countries. They will provide you with a free quote. Turnaround can be as long as 12-16 weeks depending on the project. (An Extreme Genes sponsor.)
Ancestry.com
Ancestry boasts more than 100 million family trees. At Ancestry DNA, there are over 18 million test results to compare your DNA to, more than anyone other platform. You can start with a 14-day free trial. (An Extreme Genes sponsor.)
MyHeritage
MyHeritage is home to some 13 BILLION historical records. And there are 4.4 billion profiles! MyHeritage is based in Israel and has many European members. You can get a 14-day free trial.
FindMyPast
FindMyPast is a UK based company, with an anchor base of millions of British records. Two week trials are available.
OneGreatFamily
This site features uncommon roots. They host some 500 million historical records and more than 250 million entries linked to pedigrees. Seven day trials are available.
Newspapers.com
An Ancestry baby company, the largest online newspaper archive, with millions of pages covering over 20,000 newspapers.
GenealogyBank
Another digital newspaper standout. While Genealogy Bank has many of the same newspapers as Newspapers.com and others, they have many unique papers in their archives.
NewspaperArchive.com
A third option for newspapers. Get a free 7-day trial.
Fulton History
A free newspaper site with more pages than the Library of Congress site, featuring mostly New York City and State newspapers. The search engine is a nightmare, but if you find what you want, you will not mind the extra time it takes to find it. Established, maintained and operated by one man several years ago as his passion project! I’ve have found countless key material here that wasn’t available anywhere else!
Chronicling America
A free government newspaper site maintained by the Library of Congress.
Find A Grave
Still free, FindAGrave is now owned by Ancestry.com. This site contains information on millions of graves throughout the world, with many sharing photos of your ancestors’ graves.
Billion Graves
A site that uses GPS to so you can easily find your ancestors’ graves. Some free, some paid.
WikiTree
Similar to the tree on FamilySearch, they feature a massive collaborative family tree.
CyndisList.com
A free site that shows you all the resources available for every area of family history research. A real oldie, but a goodie!
